JetBlue pilot's wife: Respect our privacy

The wife of Capt. Clayton Osbon, the JetBlue pilot who was subdued by passengers while his plane was in flight, said the family is declining interviews and they don't believe he intended to hurt anyone.

Connye Osbon asked the media to respect the family's privacy and said it won't be making any further public comments, according to the statement released by JetBlue on the family's behalf.

"We would like to recognize the crew and passengers of Flight 191 for their effective yet compassionate handling of the situation," the family's statement said. "It is our belief, as Clayton's family, that while he was clearly distressed, he was not intentionally violent toward anyone. We know you were placed in an awful situation and we appreciate your ability to respond professionally."

The captain began acting erratically during a flight from Kennedy Airport last Tuesday and was locked out of the cockpit by his co-pilot as the plane, JetBlue Flight 191, was diverted to Texas.

Osbon, 49, was tackled and sat upon by passengers when he tried to re-enter the cockpit after briefly stepping out, the company and federal officials said.

Osbon is being treated at Northwest Texas Healthcare System hospital in Amarillo. He faces as many as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after being charged with interfering with the plane's flight crew.

After the plane left New York, Osbon turned off the plane's radios, dimmed his monitors and told the first officer that "we need to take a leap of faith," according to court documents. At some point, Osbon told that officer, 'We're not going to Vegas.' He then began giving what the first officer described as a sermon," he documents said.